Guest Writers…

Mar 20, 2019


Dick and Jane’s Mother

By Liz Jantz


 

   I feel reluctant to listen to my first grader read about Dick and Jane. The stories are tiresome but it is the pictures that have bothered me – especially the pictures of their mother.
   There she is kneeling in the garden, in her print dress, sun hat and gardening gloves. The next page would show her standing at the kitchen sink in a ruffled apron. Her hair was in neat waves and she wore black pumps on her feet. I would see her at her sewing machine, shopping or out for a walk. What a lovely picture she made!
   I envied her collected existence, her ladylike appearance. In many ways, her life was remarkably like mine. She had a husband expecting supper at six. There were Dick, Jane, Sally, Spot and Puff. She had a home to manage. Why didn’t I feel like she looked? She was always so appropriate.
   As my child read, “Look! Look!” I would look and wonder. What did she want to teach me? Get up early. Think about your day and dress accordingly. Comb your hair. Put on some nice shoes. They will make you look ladylike and help you act that way, too. But my feet hurt at the thought of wearing heels all day and it was easier to dismiss it with a sigh. I’m so busy. Does anyone care much about being ladylike these days?
   But I could not dismiss this woman so easily. Styles may change but values stay the same throughout the ages. She makes homemaking into a profession. I would try to be more professional. It’s only laziness that allows me to go around in a wrinkled dress and scuffed shoes. Clothes like that may have a place somewhere but not at the kitchen sink or on a trip to the grocery store. I could clean my shoes and iron my dress. Then I will be ready for whatever the day brings.
   Yet, her attraction was more than nice clothes. She seems to remind me, “Take some time to keep a quiet place in your heart.” Calm hearts and proper clothes compliment each other. Though I may never be exactly like her, I am thankful for her reminders to dress neatly, have a serene outlook and stand straight in whatever shoes I’m wearing.


A special thanks to Liz Jantz for sharing this Article with The Village! If you would like to share an article/story/poem for the SignBoard, click here to find out how!

What will 2019 hold for The Village?!

Feb 2, 2019

I suppose that is the big Question! 🙂 Well as for us over here in the Admin Department, we have some new things up our sleeves! We hope to let you in on them here as soon as we have a time frame for when they will be rolling out! Just a little hint here though to keep you guessing… It will make it nicer and easier for you shoppers, more convenient for Shopkeepers, and all around better for the whole Village! We hope you will be as excited about them as we are! Remember if you have suggestions for us on things you would love to see new in The Village, please use the Contact Us Page to drop us a line. It can be Products you would like to see for sale, Features for shops or the whole Website, or something else, etc.

a bit on 2018….

To tell you the truth we have been so thrilled with how everyone has rallied around their friends and families and their small businesses! When we launched The Village of Artisans on April 1, 2018, it took off and grew faster than we ever dreamed it might! You all have been Fabulous!! And Thanks to you all, The Village is still growing with new shops and businesses still popping up! We were very impressed with how so many of you wonderful shoppers remembered your friends and their small businesses at Christmas Time and “Shopped Small”! The sales were beyond what we could have believed for the first Christmas Season for The Village!

Thanks for a great year! and we hope to keep seeing you around…

We hope you continue to come to The Village throughout 2019 to find those special quality one-of-a-kind items for sale here. And spread the word about Us to all of your friends, neighbors, family, the lady in the Checkout at Walmart, etc!

~ Valerie & Monica (The Village Admin)

How to “Search” in The Village.

Dec 15, 2018

We have gotten some feedback that some of you are having trouble finding what you want when you are Shopping in The Village. Here are some screen shots to help you out.

There are several ways to search for a Vendor/Shop:


On Desktop:



At the top of the Featured Shops, just under the Banner. Just start typing in the name of the shop and it will pop up! No need to type in the entire shop name.



Click the All Shops Button and then at the top of the page is another place to search for a shop. Just start typing in the name of the shop and it will pop up! No need to type in the entire shop name.

 


You can go to the bottom of any page and use the Shop and Business Index. We try to keep this up to date!

On Mobile:


At the top of the Featured Shops, just under the Banner. Just start typing in the name of the shop and it will pop up! No need to type in the entire shop name.


Click the All Shops Button and then at the top of the page is another place to search for a shop. Just start typing in the name of the shop and it will pop up! No need to type in the entire shop name.


You can go to the bottom of any page and use the Shop and Business Index. We try to keep this up to date!

To Search For Products:

On Desktop:



You can use the Categories on the left side of the Home page or you can also  Search for Products from any page on The Village. At the top of the Page is a search box. This search box is just a bit more tricky to use. It uses the Products tags and Titles to search. Using one word is the best option. Start using it and you will start to understand how it works.

On Mobile:


At the bottom of the screen is a magnifying glass. When you click it a search box appears. This search box is just a bit more tricky to use. It uses the Products tags and Titles to search. Using one word is the best option. Start using it and you will start to understand how it works.


Hope these can help some of you out! 🙂

HEY! LAST MINUTE SHOPPERS…

   

There are a few last minute sales that are going on now!  There are still a few shops that can ship items to you in time for Christmas!  Go take a stroll around The Village and Check out the New Shops and the new things some of the old shops have posted!  And Thanks for Shopping in The Village and making this year a Success!  We couldn’t have done it with out you! 🙂  We are looking forward to the New Year and all the Great new things that it holds for The Village!

~ Valerie & Monica

Would You like to get The Village Updates?

Oct 5, 2018

Would you like to get notified by email when The Village has new features or a new SignBoard post?

Would you like to know which Shops have Sales going on that week/month and what coupon codes you can use for great discounts?

It’s super easy!!

 

Just Click this link and sign up!

Wish Lists…!

Well here are the “Wish Lists” quite a few of you have asked for!! Just in time for Christmas!!

You can now “Like” items by clicking the small heart in the top left corner of the item’s picture.

The items will be saved and listed under “Wish List” in your Account.

You can easily “Add to Cart” when you decide to buy the items in your Wish List.

You can also “Share” your wish list with your family for Christmas gift exchanges.

 

Enjoy! and continue to send us your requests under “Contact Us” for things that will help to make your shopping experience in The Village even more enjoyable!

 

Cool New Features…

Sep 24, 2018

Cool new Features that make it even more easy and fun to shop in The Village!

It is now even easier to find the shop you are looking for right from the main page! At the top of the Featured Vendors there now is a search box. You can start typing in the name of the Shop you are looking for and the shop will pop up.

 

 

Also at the bottom of the page, under the Featured Products there is a new button, “View All Products”. This button takes you to a page where you can see all the products for sale in The Village in order form Newest to Oldest. Check back often to see what all is new in The Village! We will randomly choose from a few newer products to use in the Featured Products on the Front page.

 

 

As always, we want to thank you for shopping in The Village and helping to support some small business!

 

Business Pages are Here!

Aug 27, 2018

We are so excited to announce the launching of

BUSINESS PAGES!

SHOWCASE YOUR BUSINESS IN THE VILLAGE!

   

    You can now have a full page “Up Town” to advertise your business in The Village!  Take advantage of our great traffic and be discovered!!  Get your name out there and bring people to your own website or to your brick and mortar store!  What is included in a Business Page:

A large banner you can customize to introduce your business.
A large button with a link directly to your own website if you have one.
A bio section to write whatever you want; tell about special deals, explain how your products are made, or whatever your feel is important.
An infinite gallery of pictures with captions to introduce your products, menu’s, services, etc, the sky is the limit!
A pin in google maps to guide customers right to your doors.
A “contact us” section for potential customers to email you directly from your page in The Village.

 

We are offering this new feature for a special low price of only $15 a month!!

Better yet, subscribe for a year and get one month free!!

Click here to sign up today!

Like it? Love it? Review it!!

May 21, 2018

Well Hello!

According to the amount of purchases over the last few weeks, many of you are enjoying shopping in The Village!

What we would like to know is this: Do you love what you bought? Did it ship quickly? Was it just like you pictured? Shopkeepers would love to know what you are thinking. If they are doing a great job, tell them! If something needs tweaking, here is your chance to give them a nudge in the right direction. Leave a review! They help others know what your shopping experience was like and if you appreciate the product you purchased. Taking note of reviews is one of the ways Shopkeepers can keep making improvements in their shops.

Make sure you have made an account and are signed in when you buy something. Then when you are ready to leave a review, you go to the product that you bought. Under the picture of the product, there is a list of links. Description, Shipping, Additional Information, Reviews, Vendor Info, and More Product etc.

Click on Reviews and then you can leave your review!

 

 

Thanks so much for helping to make The Village a great place to shop!

 

 

Shop and Business Index

May 6, 2018
  It seems like with so many Shops in The Village now (85!), it can get hard to find the shop you are looking for! There are now 2 ways to search for a specific Shop in The Village.
1.You can click the “View All Shops” button at the bottom of the Featured Shops. Then type the name of the shop into the “Search Vendor” bar at the top of the page.
2. Now we just added a new way to find the Shop you want to Visit. There is a page called Shop and Business Index. You can find this link at the bottom of any page in The Village. It is an Alphabetical list of all the Shops in The Village. As soon as we have Business Pages set up, they will be listed there also… Click the name of the Shop or Business you want to visit and it takes you directly to their main page.